Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)
Results
Side Effects

Usually known by its brand name Epidu®, this topical treatment is a combination of adapalene, which is a type of medication called a...

Usually known by its brand name Epidu®, this topical treatment is a combination of adapalene, which is a type of medication called a retinoid that reduces inflammation in the skin and helps promote skin cell turnover, along with benzoyl peroxide, which kills acne bacteria and dries/peels the skin. 

It is usually applied once a day before going to bed.

 [more]
3.7
496
Read All About Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)
Compare To Other Treatments
5
39.1%
4
29.2%
3
10.3%
2
7.9%
1
13.5%

Used Adapalene / Benzoyl Peroxide (Epiduo®)? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
Sort by: Most Helpful
Order:
August 9, 2013
Works Well - with patience

Pros:

Quick and easy to apply
Cheap (I live in Australia and a tube lasts about 6 months)
Very effective, especially after a few months of use

Cons:

Can bleach towels, clothes and sheets
Can cause a bit of redness in areas of face on ocassion

I had been using BP (as part of The Regimen) for over a year, but decided to switch to Epiduo to try and reduce the amount of time I was taking to complete my skin regimen each day. Because my face was already adjusted to BP I didn't have any reactions to Epiduo, such as dry skin or redness but I did notice a little bit of redness on occasion in the creases next to my mouth. When this happened I just skipped one night's application and my skin was fine by the following day. In the first few months I had minor breakouts (about 1 - 2 pimples a week) but this slowly started to reduce. I became completely clear at around month 5 and have remained so for over a month now. If you have not used Epiduo before, its important to build up slowly, applying only every few days, then every second until you are applying every night and your skin is adjusted. Its also true that less is truly more. Only ever apply a pea size amount. This is plenty to apply all over your face. If you use more than this, it just adds unnecessary irritation without making it work better. It takes a few months before you see the full effects, so patience is paramount. Plus its also important to moisturise to keep your skin balanced. I really like this product - its quick to apply, its a once a day application and it works so long as you have the patience to get through the first few months.
This Was Helpful

8 user(s) found this helpful

Report
August 7, 2013
Horrible! Just horrible!
I am a 23 year old female. NEVER had issues with acne my entire life until about 3 months ago. Its in my chin region and nowhere else. I went to the dermatologist and he prescribed me Epiduo. It's been exactly a month today that I've been using it every night before bedtime, and it's only made my face worse. Whereas before I had about 4 large cystic pimples on my chin, after epiduo I now have about 12. They WILL NOT go away and are very painful. I do not recommend this product whatsoever. Makes your skin red, itchy, sore, and also makes you peel along with making you breakout even worse. I've read other posts and I know others say after about 3 weeks of using this product they started to see results. Well, not for me. Like I said...its been a month and it's still worse than ever.
This Was Helpful

Report
August 4, 2013
Big Mistake.

Pros:

gave face nice look

Cons:

Lots of whiteheads
Broke me out
Drys skin for first few weeks.

I'm a 16 year old girl and my derm put me on this along with doxycycline (150 mg, once a day). The oral medication was definitely helping while the epiduo caused me to wake up with more and more big nasty white heads. They were larger than my actual acne before. My dermatologist said I was "sensitive" to it. Just please do not try this product, you'll regret it. (Sidenote) doxycycline worked pretty well, you should give it a shot.
This Was Helpful

1 user(s) found this helpful

Report
August 4, 2013
Pretty good

Pros:

Works well

Cons:

Not for overly sensitive skin

Ever since I hit puberty I've always had acne. My skin is also very oily and sensitive. My doctor prescribed me epiduo and prescription of oral antibiotics about a year ago then I ran out (my pharmacy tried charging me over $200 for one tube!) and my skin flared up allot. My skin usually flares up before my period. I'm happy to have it back and it takes a month or two to really clear up my skin. It burns your skin if you use too much gel though. Fortunately, my doctor redirected me to another pharmacy where I was able to get my tube of epiduo for free with my insurance.
This Was Helpful

2 user(s) found this helpful

Report
August 3, 2013
Do not use on sensitive skin

Pros:

Didn't give it more than a weeks chance, could work for some
You get a decent amount of product for price
ingredients have research and have been proven successful in some

Cons:

Chemically burned my skin
Skin will become dry and flaking
skin was oily in places where the acne was

I have moderately severe cystic acne and this product started burning, and when I mean burn I mean chemical burn, my skin raw after about a week of use. I couldn't even apply make up to cover it because my skin burned so bad. Granted, I only used it for a week and there is not gonna be much results, I found the product to be abrasive and not usable. If you tend to have sensitive skin, I do not recommend this product but if you have tough skin I would give it a go, all its ingredients set you up for success but maybe just not in my case.
This Was Helpful

Report
August 2, 2013
So far, I'm loving it!

Pros:

Works well
No burning, stinging, itching
Efficient

Cons:

Expensive

To start this off, I am 15 years old, and I have had mild-moderate acne since age 12. My dermatologist recommended Epiduo, and so I have been using it for about 3.5 months now, and I really like it. I've been using little sample sizes every night, but when I went to the pharmacy the other day to get the full size, they said it costed over $200, and there's no way I'm paying for that. My derm said with insurance, it'll cost me about $25-30, which is pretty good. But as for results, I am pretty much clear, probably about 90%, whereas before I was around 30%. Also, no stinging, itching, burning or sensations for me. Probably because my skin is so used to benzoyl peroxide after using it for years. If you get the chance to use Epiduo, I would highly recommend it.
This Was Helpful

3 user(s) found this helpful

Report
July 17, 2013
amazing
Ok, so I wanted to write a review because of how amazing this product is. I honestly have tried it all, and tried nothing, and I kept breaking out for the past 6 months. I got on birth control, did facials, used expensive products and cheap ones, even home made stuff. What people aren't understanding is how to USE this product. FIrst, get something calming like cetaphil for your skin. Cleanse with that in the am and use sunscreen, NO MOISTURIZER. At night wash with cetaphil and let your skin dry at least 30 mins. I normally wait about an hour or two. USE a pea size amount and dab all over the face not to touch the delicate eye part or cracks of nose. GO TO BED. DO not use anything else. Start out by using every 3 days. The first night I let it work for 5 hours to see if I got a reaction. I haven't had ANY reactions. NONE. I have been using for 3 weeks and completely clear skin. I can't even believe it. I highly recommend this but with caution - do research and use it properly!
This Was Helpful

12 user(s) found this helpful

Report
July 17, 2013
Eh
My acne is the type with congested pores that get inflamed, Basically this product never really cleared me up, just calmed it down. I stopped using because it made me extremely oily by the third month. It might work for you though.
This Was Helpful

1 user(s) found this helpful

Report
July 16, 2013
Oh the frustration

Pros:

No more forehead whiteheads
No more bangs

Cons:

Irritation
Doesn't work for my entire face
Losing hope

So I started getting acne around 14 and for years I used OTC products to control it and had relatively nice skin. Over time the product ingredients I was using (benzoyl peroxide, tea tree oil, salicylic acid, etc) lost their effectiveness and so almost a year ago I realized that they no longer worked for me. I am now 20. I began getting breakout after breakout which left much scarring. So after about 6 months of trying all kinds of remedies I decided that I needed to go to a dermatologist. I went and was prescribed epiduo and clindamycin 1% pads. What can I say? Epiduo has mostly been a huge disappointment to me as it has not really changed anything. I have been using it for two months. I went through the initial breakout,dryness, flaking, redness, and irritation in hopes that by the end of it all my acne would be better. However all that effort was to no avail as my acne on my jaw has only gotten worse even after the initial breakout. I had a horrible ib for two to three weeks. After that my skin got better but only briefly. Now my skin is absolutely awful and epiduo hasn't done much to help it. I use it religiously every night to no avail. No change. The dermatologist said epiduo should help with the inflammation and whiteheads I keep getting but no. The only positive is that I don't get much forehead whiteheads now and so I have resorted to growing out my bangs as I no longer need them to cover my forehead acne. However my cheeks look ridiculous as they're covered in scars and new pimples. As soon as one zit goes away two or three more form so it's a constant cycle. Epiduo does seem to help slightly with scarring though but it doesn't do what it's supposed to do for me. I guess my acne is more stubborn than I thought. After all the positive reviews I was hoping it would work for me but at this point I doubt it. I hope it works for you guys though.
This Was Helpful

3 user(s) found this helpful

Report
July 5, 2013
My dermatologist reccomended this to me because of my moderate acne

Cons:

flaky
dryness
makes pimples bigger

This drys the living crap out of me! But after a week my skin got used to it...(with tons of moisturizer) it just makes my pimples bigger and bigger and i feel like it just makes them redder
This Was Helpful

Report
Previous
1 … 18 19 20 21 22 … 49
Next

Relevant Article(s):

Relevant Review(s):

Relevant Forum(s):

Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website